An East Rockhill man is facing child pornography charges after he allegedly used Snapchat to share child pornography with other users.
Ulisses Morales Columna, 23, has been charged with felony counts of dissemination of child pornography, possession of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility, in connection with the investigation by the Bucks County Detective Bureau.
Columna is currently free on $100,000 unsecured bail.
In early June, police received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a Snapchat account that allegedly uploaded and shared child pornography. The video depicted an approximately 5-year-old child being raped by an adult male, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators said Columna used his proper name as his Snapchat username, and the IP address from the CyberTipline report was traced back to Columna’s employer, LifePath Inc.
On Aug. 12, detectives spoke with Columna at his place of employment, at which point he admitted his Snapchat account had been recently closed due to a violation of their terms of service, the report states. As the interview continued, Columna eventually gave investigators access to a hidden application on his phone containing child pornography, and later stated he believed his “sexual growth was stunted when he was younger,” leaving him attracted to young boys, according to charging documents.
In total, detectives recovered at least 25 files depicting young boys being sexually abused, according to the complaint.
Court records show Columna was officially charged on Sept. 8, and he was subsequently arraigned the following day. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. in front of District Judge Regina Armitage.
Lifepath Inc. — which provides services for vulnerable youth and adults — did not respond to inquiries from this news organization regarding Columna’s employment.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause. This story was updated to reflect the child's current custody status.
See also:
Parents Charged with Felony Child Endangerment After Taking Kids to Pick Up Drugs in Philadelphia
Central Bucks School District Employee Charged with Possession of Child Pornography
Man Accused of Taking Photos of Woman in Dressing Room at Goodwill Outlet in Montgomeryville
Cleaning Contractor Accused of Stealing More Than $15,000 in Cash, Checks from Merck Employees
